Category Archives: Monthly Planning Guides

The dry season continues during January in Central Florida. With dry weather comes the “January Cold” at least by Orlando standard. The average high is 71.2 for January. The coldest of any month. The average lows dips below 50 to 49.2. On the bright side, it only rains, on average, 6.6 days for the month and the area receives just over two inches of rain. Like in December, it is best to attack the parks in layers. Light jackets and sweatshirts will be needed in the morning and evening hours. In the late morning through late afternoon, guests could get with a short sleeve shirt and shorts depending on the temperature.

The Crowds

January is a great time of year to head down to Walt Disney World. There is only one major event, The Walt Disney World Marathon, in the month. This year’s marathon takes place from January 6 through 10. There is some bleed over from Christmas and New Year’s but those crowds are, generally, only around on New Year’s Day and the day after. The crowds increase for Martin Luther King Day weekend. But outside of those days, the crowds are very light by Disney standards.

Crowds (out of 10)

January 1-10 (Includes WDW Marathon weekend): 7.0

January 11-15: 3.6

January 16-18 (MLK Weekend): 8.6

January 19-31: 4.5

Special Events

The only special event in the month of January is the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. This event can have minimal impact on your vacation or you could be planning your entire vacation around the WDW Marathon weekend. The only cost is, if you decide to, to enter one of the many races held during the marathon weekend. Registration for this events takes place way in advance, so please, do not think that you can just show up on marathon weekend and be able to register. As of today (July 6, 2015), registration for the 2016 WDW Marathon is 85% full.

Animal Kingdom: Typically opens at 8 or 9 am and closes at either 5, 6, or 7 pm (depending on Extra Magic Hours)

Extra Magic Hours either in morning or evening take place at select parks every day during the month of December. Parks with morning magic hours will open an hour earlier and parks with evening magic hours will close two hours later.

December is the first full month of the dry season at Walt Disney World. It only rains, on average, on six days during the month of December in Orlando. The average high temperature dips down to 72.8 degrees and average low temperature reaches a “chilly” 52.4 degrees. The record low temperature in Orlando was reached in December when the thermometer got all the way down to 18 back in 1894. The best way to dress for the parks is to dress in layers. Most days, you will need a sweatshirt or light jacket in the parks during the morning but get down to a short sleeve shirt by mid-afternoon. Then, you need the sweatshirt or light jacket when the sun goes down. If you leave the winter hat and gloves at home, Disney shops will sell hats and gloves to keep warm.

Early December has some of the lightest crowds during the year at Walt Disney World. Almost everyone has just finished up Thanksgiving break and it’s only a few weeks away to Christmas/New Year’s Break at the end of December. As a result, the parks are not very crowded and shorter wait times can be expected even for the more popular attractions.

As the month goes and Christmas/New Year’s Break gets closer, the crowds start to build as more and more schools let out for the break. The crowds reach their peak between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Some parks, especially Magic Kingdom, will close to guests during the day because they reach capacity. If you are in Disney World on these days, it is best to get to the parks early.

Crowds (out of 10)

December 1-10: 3.4

December 11-18: 4.6

December 19-31: 9.6

Special Events

Christmas is in full swing at Walt Disney World during December. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party takes place on select nights (1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 18). After the 18th, the Christmas parades that take place during the parties become the night-time parades through Christmas time. EPCOT’s World Showcase gets on the Christmas action. Each nation in the World Showcase has a Santa which tells the story of Christmas in their nation. Times for these Christmas stories vary (check the times guide in the park). The Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights take place every night in Hollywood Studios. Each of the resorts gets the Christmas spirit as well with resort-themed Christmas decorations.

The taping of the Walt Disney Christmas Day Parade typically takes place on the first weekend of December which would be December 5th and 6th.

Outside of the Christmas, the Pop Warner Super Bowl takes place from December 5th through December 12th. Most of the teams are housed in the value resorts, specifically, All-Star Sports.

General Park Hours:

Magic Kingdom: December 1st-18th – Typically opens at 9 am and closes at 10 pm. Will close at 7 pm on Christmas Party nights as the park is only available to Christmas Party ticket holders from 7 pm until Midnight. December 19th-31st: Opens at 9 am and closes at 11 pm or midnight.

Hollywood Studios: December 1st-18th – Typically opens at 9 am and closes at 8 pm. December 19th-31st – Typically opens at 9 am and closes at 8 pm. Closes at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

Animal Kingdom: December 1st-18th – Typically opens at 9 am and closes at 5 or 6 pm. December 19th-31st – Typically opens at 9 am and closes at 7 pm.

Extra Magic Hours either in morning or evening take place at select parks every day during the month of December. Parks with morning magic hours will open an hour earlier and parks with evening magic hours will close two hours later.

December Refurbishment Schedule

Magic Kingdom:

Monorail System will be undergoing ongoing maintenance through December 2015 and may be running on limited hours